Prior to joining the Department of Energy, Dr. Linda Horton was the Director for the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of the five BES national user facilities for nanoscale science research. Under her leadership, the CNMS grew from its opening in FY2006 to have a strong, interdisciplinary scientific program, which hosts a vibrant user community that reached over 400 users in FY2008. She also was the project director for the CNMS facility construction.

Prior to leading the CNMS, Dr. Horton was the program director for the ORNL BES Materials and Engineering Physics program. During her career at ORNL, she held many management roles, including Deputy Division Director for the Metals and Ceramics Division, Group Leader for Surfaces and Interfaces, and Group Leader for Electron Microscopy. Her personal research emphasized applications of electron microscopy to materials science problems, including investigations of the effects of ion implantation and neutron irradiation on the structure and properties of ferritic alloys and ceramic materials and studies of the growth and characterization of diamond thin films. At ORNL, she was involved in the implementation of research programs that integrated basic and applied research.

Dr. Horton received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Materials Science. She has been active in professional service and has served on the Board of Directors for the Materials Research Society, ASM International, and the Microscopy Society of America. She has also served on both university and international advisory committees, including for Nanotechnology and Energy for the United Kingdom’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). She is a frequent reviewer for the DOE and other agencies, including reviews of Office of Science construction projects and user facility operations. She also served as a past Vice-Chair of the BES Advisory Committee (BESAC). She was involved in a number of assessments and workshops for BES, other parts of DOE, and for other federal agencies. Notably, she served as co-chair of the 2002 BESAC workshop Basic Research Needs to Assure a Secure Energy Future, the first of the BES "Basic Research Needs" workshops.